After 78 Years, The Toy Shop in Concord Is Calling It a Day

It is with a heavy heart that the Bostonglobe.com is reporting that the iconic Toy Shop of Concord, New Hampshire, is closing for good.

The business, owned by David Hesel, has been run for the last 78 years is closing due to the pandemic, the newspaper reported, and the fact that Hesel has decided that at 73 years old, it’s time for him to retire.

The shop has survived big-box retailers, WWII, recessions, and countless other bad times.

I know to a lot of you from the Concord New Hampshire area will feel like you have lost a piece of your childhood.

According to the article on bostonglobe.com, it seems like the shop was a little slice of magic in New England.  Hesel has run the business for 32 years, and he told the bostonglobe.com that the original owner was very particular about the selection of toys in the shop preferring educational and toys that allowed kids to use their own imagination.

Helsel carried on that tradition.

Remember when toys weren’t advertised on television?  Remember when our parents worried about us playing outside too late and not being stressed about ‘screen time?’ I remember my Lincoln logs and making model airplanes.  It’s harder and harder to find toys like that.

I used to love visiting toy stores with my kids when they were little and letting them explore.  The children of Concord, New Hampshire, will have a little less magic in their lives with the closure of the Toy Shop.

I’m sad to see it close but hope Hesel enjoys his much-deserved retirement.